Gold Coast Suns to pay outgoing convert Karmichael Hunt $1 million for one game in 2014

KARMICHAEL Hunt will pocket $1 million in a farewell Gold Coast season that could yield just one game.

The Herald Sun can reveal the Suns have not offered the code-hopper a contract for 2015 and Super Rugby’s Queensland Reds is favourite to win his signature.

The AFL paid around $800,000 a year as part of the mega deal that made Hunt one of the game’s richest players.

But the AFL yesterday labelled the former NRL star’s 44-game Suns stint “extremely successful”.
Hunt, 27, has been considered a good investment by the league and the Suns given the publicity he has generated as an ambassador in the northern battleground states.

But it is set to be the end of Hunt’s AFL journey, which began at a VFL match in Craigieburn on a wintry afternoon in 2010.

The Brisbane Lions last night ruled out reviving Hunt’s AFL career, declaring he had done “an amazing job” promoting football but did not fit their list profile.

His manager, David Riolo, said Hunt had not made a call on which sport to play next year.
“There’s no update until he’s agreed somewhere, that’ll be the update,” Riolo said.
“He hasn’t made a final decision yet and he hasn’t agreed to terms anywhere. He’s also looking at league and union.”

The Brisbane Broncos were believed to be leading the race for Hunt but, despite signing his former coach Wayne Bennett this week, salary cap pressures and sufficient cover for Hunt’s full-back position could thwart their bid.

Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy has publicly stated his interest in Hunt, but it is also facing a salary cap squeeze.

It lands the Reds in the box seat for Hunt.

The AFL yesterday defended the controversial code-jumping bonus payments made to Hunt and Israel Folau, who left the Giants for Rugby union after just one AFL season.

“In terms of ambassador roles for players in the future, the AFL will continue to make that decision on a case-by-case basis and we have a range of players in roles for us,” spokesman Patrick Keane said.
Hunt has kept a low media profile this year, has managed just one game and will miss another two weeks with a knee injury.

He famously slotted a goal after the final siren to upset Richmond in Cairns in 2012 but injury has cruelled the powerful midfielder this year.

He has played seven games in the reserves this year around hamstring and knee injuries and a concussion which led to a staph infection.

Hunt's best value for the AFL was in marketing value before he even played a game. As a player he has been a complete flop. Obviously he has picked up huge money but he is an elite athlete that has wasted 4 years of his career.

Went to the Suns today and a great effort from them. But an even better effort from the creative crowd counters. It was easily the smallest crowd I have been in at either a Suns or Titans game and the bloke I was with reckoned somewhere between 4-5000 tops. It is on the AFL website as 8,911. No way. I have been to a few games this year where they have clearly fudged the crowds. If the Swans crowd last week was 12k then no way was today 9k.

The brother in law is a Suns season member as well as a Titan member. He won't be at the Titans game this Saturday as they conflict with each other. He would prefer to be at the Titans but the incentive to go to the Suns game is too much. The deal they have at the moment is for every home game you attend (from the last 3 ) you get $15.00 off next years membership. If you attend all 3 home games they give you another $5.00 off. So an individual member can save $50.00. He has 3 memberships so he will save $150.00. Not a bad incentive.

The brother in law is a Suns season member as well as a Titan member. He won't be at the Titans game this Saturday as they conflict with each other. He would prefer to be at the Titans but the incentive to go to the Suns game is too much. The deal they have at the moment is for every home game you attend (from the last 3 ) you get $15.00 off next years membership. If you attend all 3 home games they give you another $5.00 off. So an individual member can save $50.00. He has 3 memberships so he will save $150.00. Not a bad incentive.

The Son in Law is also going to be busy soon hey. how amazing for him.

I’m a member of both clubs. It sucks when there’s a clash. It’s basically a loss of $50 per seat when it happens.
I’ve challenged both clubs on trying to not have clashes but they say the amount of freaks out there like Shamus Brother In Law and I is negligible and has a tiny affect on the attendance.

Titans are in a much better place than the Suns. It will be years before the Suns are competitive. Also there are a huge amount of people in Victoria/Brisbane/Tasmania Campaigning for the Suns to be packed up and moved to Tasmania.

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